


Tara's Return to Alexandria

by sceal



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: But someone else from the five-people patrol, Canon Lesbian Character, F/F, Fix-It, Fluffy Ending, Minor Character Death, Never Denise, Not Denise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 06:42:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6318700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sceal/pseuds/sceal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tara finds out that someone she loves was killed. She fears the worst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tara's Return to Alexandria

Tara drove through the last patch of woods, her entire body tense with expectation. She couldn't help it. Every time she left the safe-zone she worried that the place would be overrun with walkers when she got back. If the safe-zone wasn't infiltrated by walkers it could be some other threat. Coming back after being gone for a whole two weeks? Anything could've happened.

But the metal walls still stood tall, protecting Alexandria and someone was definitely manning the guard post. Two very good signs, but it didn't guarantee anything. She could only spot a tiny silhouette up on the wall from here. Was it one of their people or please God no, one of the Saviors?

Soon she drew close enough to see the guard properly. It was a petite black woman with her hair tightly pulled back. Sasha.

“Home, sweet home,” Heath said from the front passenger seat beside her. "They somehow managed to survive without us."

“Yeah,” Tara said, slowing the car down as they approached the gate. “But let’s stay vigilant just in case.”

On their run, they’d met up with one of the Savior patrols. Heath and her had barely made it out alive.  She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid to think that taking care of Negan's compound made them safe. She’d even wanted Denise to come on the run with her, like they were going on a fucking vacation.

Screw that. Denise wasn’t going outside for a long time. Not until every last one of the Saviors was dead.

Sasha must've seen them coming through the scope of her custom AR-15 rifle.  She saluted them and gestured for whoever was inside on gate duty to let them in.

The gate opened and the guard on the ground, Father Gabriel, smiled in greeting.  

Everything looked normal. She spotted Maggie, Glenn and Michonne working on the vegetable gardens. Other people freely walked the streets like it was just any other day. It was almost like entering an alternate reality, where walkers didn't exist.

“The Saviors haven’t found Alexandria yet,” Heath said. “If they had, and Rick had been forced to strike a deal with them, everyone wouldn't look so damn happy."

“That’s what I think too.” Tara grinned.

She parked the car by the community’s food storage facility. They got out and began to unload the bags of dried goods from the trunk. It felt good to stretch her legs and even better to finally let her guard down.

“I can’t wait to take a hot shower.” Tara carried the bags to the garage door and knocked.

“And sleep in a real bed,” Heath added with a grin.

Olivia opened the garage and came out to help them. “I’m so glad you two made it back. We won’t be doing any more two-people runs for a while. Rick’s orders.”

Something must’ve happened.

Olivia was looking at her with sympathy. Specifically her. Heath just got a small tight smile, while Tara received a long, serious look. The kind someone gave mourners at a funeral.

Someone had died. Someone she loved had died.

Tara’s throat started closing up. “What happened?”

“You haven’t talked to anyone yet?” Olivia said.

 _No_ , Tara wanted to say. _Who died_? She tried to find her voice but she couldn’t.

She knew Sasha, Father Gabriel, Glenn, Maggie and Michonne were fine. Had she seen anyone else on the drive in?

“We came right here,” Heath said.

“I’m so sorry,” Olivia said.

“What happened?” Heath said.

“Denise, Abraham, Eugene, Rosita and Daryl went out on a run last week and they had an encounter with the Saviors,” Olivia said. “One of them didn’t make it back. Tara, you should hear the rest of the story from one of your friends.”

No.

Oh God. No.

Tara dropped the bags and started running.

Towards the infirmary.

Because Denise would be there. Denise was smart. She wouldn’t take risks. Nothing would happen to her – she’d be fine – oh God why had Denise gone outside!  

Tara’s mind went blank. The surrounding street and houses became a blurry haze. She didn’t know how she even recognized the infirmary, but she shoved the door open.

And there she was.

Denise.

Alive, safe, replacing the bandage on Carl’s face. Denise turned to face her – her face going from shocked to joyful.

Tara fell down to her knees and sobbed.

Big, ugly tears. Runny nose, gasping breaths. She wiped at her cheeks and tried to stop.

Denise knelt down beside her and hugged her.

“Shh,” Denise said. “Shh, Tara, it’s okay. Everything’s alright.”

“I thought you were dead,” Tara gasped.

Even in her distraught state, some part of her distantly noticed Carl as he silently left the infirmary.

“I’m fine,” Denise said. “I was so worried about you.”

“About me?” Tara said. “She said you went outside!”

“I did,” Denise said. “Rosita and Daryl watched over me the whole time.”

Rosita and Daryl were idiots. “Why did they let you leave in the first place?”

“I can be very charming when I have to be,” Denise said.

“Never again,” Tara said. She kissed Denise and wrapped her soft warmth in her arms. “You’re never leaving again.”

“We can talk more about that later,” Denise said. “I have something to tell you.”

Yes, because someone had died. But not Denise. Tara realized that at one point they should probably get up and off the cold floor. But for now hugging Denise was the only thing her brain was capable of doing.

Tara braced herself. “Who died?”

“Abraham,” Denise said.

Abraham? Tara felt the shock of the news reverberate throughout her body.  She hadn’t realized it, but if not Denise, she’d been sure that it was Eugene. Not Abraham. She’d somehow thought the gruff, ginger giant was invincible. Rosita must be heartbroken.

 “I’m sorry,” Denise said. “Him and Eugene went off on their own looking for a place to make bullets. They got in a fight. Abraham left him and the Saviors took Eugene. They found us, told us they’d kill Eugene if we didn’t cooperate. We fought them – Abraham came out of nowhere. He helped us win that fight but they shot him in the head. There was nothing I could do. I just hid on the ground the whole time.”

“That’s good,” Tara said. “That’s the smart thing to do. Tomorrow we’re training you to use every single gun that we have. In the meantime, if there is a fight I always want you to hide, okay?”

“We’ll talk about that later too.” Denise smiled. “I killed my first walker!”

“What!”

“And I got you something.” Denise stood. Tara wasn’t ready to let go of her so she hugged her from behind, wrapping her arms around her tummy. She laid her head on Denise’s back. She would probably have to stay like this forever.

Denise walked to the other side of the infirmary and Tara maintained her tight grip as she followed her.

“You’ll need to let go of me so I can give it to you,” Denise said.

Tara reluctantly did so.

“I’ve been carrying this around with me everywhere I go, so I could give it to you as soon as you came back.” Denise reached into a cooler and handed her a can of orange soda.

Tara stared at the cool drink in her hands. “You killed a walker to get me this?”

Denise nodded. “I love you.”

Tara carefully placed the drink down. She felt completely exhausted. Her body ached and emotionally she felt like someone had hit her with a truck.  But suddenly everything was clear in her head. “After we kill all of the Saviors, Father Gabriel is going to marry us.”

“Why can’t we get married now?” Denise said.

“Because we have a future. There’s no need to rush. You and me, we’re going to make it.”


End file.
